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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

C. N. SOUTHER. TICKET' STAMP.

No. 529,669. Patented Nov- 20, 1894.

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c. N. so-UTHBR. TICKET STAMP.

No. 529,669. Paten'csd Nov. 20.1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN N. SOUTHER, OF CHICAQQHILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. TO POOLE BROTHERS, OF PLACE.

TICKET-,STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,669, dated November 20, 1 894. Appnmnnnea september 22,1893. stanno. 486,182. trouwden same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part o-f this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ticket stamps of that class which are adapted to simultaneously stamp the ticket and sever therefrom an auditors stub or check, which is preserved as a record of the sale.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction in ticket stamps of the character referred to; and it consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure'l is a front elevation of a stamp constructed in accor'dance with` my invention, the upper portion being in elevation and the lower portion in section of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical, transverse section of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the style of ticket adapted to be severed thereby.

A designates the base of the stamp in the top of which is formed an opening A.

B designates a type-plate supported horizontally in the opening A upon abridge B extending across the said opening A. This type-plate may have uponA its upper face any letters or figures that it may be desirable to print upon the ticket, and the plate may be made removable in order that other plates bearing different letters may be readily substituted. Said type-plate may be supplemented by disks C CC', bearing types upon their peripheries, and extending upward through the bridge B and type-plate B. The disks C is herein shown as rigidly secured upon a horizontal shaft D journaled in the casing A', and the front end of which extends through the wall of the casing and terminates n Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofy i in a milled head D2, by means of which said shaft and disk may be rotated. Said shaft may also be provided without the casing with an indicated dial D3 for determining the position ofthe disks D. The disks C and C are herein shown of annular form, and are rotatively mounted upon stationary bushings D which loosely surround the shaft D, and are concentric therewith. The positions of the disks C C are changed by turning them directly with the hand or by the use of a hand tool. Usually the name of a railroad or per- Vson using the stamp is placed upon the typeplate B, while the years, months and days are placed upon the disks Cand C.

E designates a ribbon shaft at the left of the type-plate, and E a similar shaft at the right thereof, both shafts being horizontally journaled in the casing A. The front end of the shaft E extends through the front wall of the casing and terminates in a milled head E2 by means of which it may be easily rotated. The rear end of the shaft E extends through the rear Wall of the casing and carries a rigidly attached wheel adapted to be interinittingly actuated as the stamp is operated. An ordinary inking ribbon F is attached at its ends to the shafts E and E and extends over the type-plate Bin a well known manner. By rotating the shaft E, the entire ribbon, except that portion which must necessarily extend over the type-plate and the shaft E', may be Wound upon the said shaft E, and as the stamp is operated, the ribbon will be gradually fed across the type-plate and wound upon the shaf E. The inking mechanism thus described, as well as the type plate and disks, and' also the shaft and dial have been previously used in similar relations, and in themselves constitute no part which a plunger G is adapted to reciprocate.

Said plunger carries at its lower end a platen G2 and terminates at its upper end-in a head or hand piece G. A spring g surrounding the plunger and acting on the head G thereof serves to normally maintain the `same in its roo raised' position. The distance between the type-plate B and the platen G2, when the plunger is in its normally elevated position, is suiiiciently great to permit the ready insertion of the tickets between said plate and the platen, as shown in Fig. 4. Upon the rear side of the platen G2a cutting blade H is rigidly secured in any suitable manner, as by screws, and upon the rearof the casing A, immediately at the rear of the type-plate B and substantially upon the same level thereof, is provided a cutting blade H, adapted to cooperate with the blade H on the platen in severing the auditors check from the ticket as the latter is stamped. For the purpose of maintaining such constant relation between the blades H and H as will insure a smooth and certain cutting action between them, the blade H is provided at its ends with downwardly projecting arms h h extending behind the blade H and long enough to constantly engage the same even when the platen is in its most elevated position.

The stub of the check detached by the action of the knives falls through a recess or channel A5 provided in the casing of the stamp, at the base of the standard A2 immediately behind the type-plate B and knife H, and opening downwardly into the interior of the base A, said recess A5 being of sufficient width to readily admit any ticket which can pass between the arms h h. The rear side of said recess A5 is in this instance provided with a depending stop T3 adapted to limit the distance to which the ticket is inserted between the knives. A door AG at the rear of the case A enables the stubs cut from the ticket and deposited in the case A to be removed from the latter.

T, (Figs. 4 and 5) designates a card ticket provided with an auditors stub T2 designed to be severed from the body T of the ticket along the line t, and to be preserved as a record of the sale. In the operation of the stamp such tickets are thrust beneath the platen, with the stub passing between the arms h l1., as shown in Fig. 4. The head G of the plunger is thereupon struck bythe hand, and the platen brought down upon the ticket, causing the type plate and the dating wheels to print through the inking ribbon upon the under side of the ticket, while simultaneously therewith the stub is severed between the blades H and H, and drops through the passage A5 into the lower part of the case. On the other hand, long tickets, such as coupon tickets, may be readily stamped by passing them laterally beneath the platen, and in such cases, the depending portions h h of the blade H serves as a guard to prevent the edge of the ticket from being mutilated by the blades, as the platen is depressed to make the impression. The attachment of the movable blade to the cutting mechanism, particularly in connection with the means herein disclosed for insuring a uniform relation between the blades, is especially advantageous in structures of this character, since it practically eliminates the possibility of the cutting mechanism becoming ineffective for lack of proper adjustment, and at the same time provides a cutting action of the type recognized as the most effective for severing thin sheets of fiexible material (viz: a shearing cut between two blades the adjacent faces of which are maintained at all times in close contact) without the employment of any pivots or other working joints, which latter are liable to become worn and thereby permit the blades to spring apart in a manner to prevent their effective action. The cutting mechanism, moreover. although automatically brought into operation whenever the stamp is used,and therefore always ready for effective action,is provided in such form as not to interfere in any way with the separate use ofthe printing mechanism or the stamp proper.

In order to eect the intermitting rotation of the ratchet wheel E2, hereinbefore referred to, an arm I extends laterally from the platen G2 to a point beyond the side of the case A, near said ratchet wheel. A lever I2 is journaled on the shaft E at the side of the ratchet wheel E4. Said lever is provided with an upwardly extending arm l3 to thc upper end of which is pivoted a gravity-pawl i4, which engages the teeth of the wheel E2. From the arm I depends an arm I which engages one end of the lever I2. At the opposite end of said lever I2 a contractile coiled spring l5 is at tached; the opposite end of said spring being secured to a post of the case A below the lever. By this construction the ratchet wheel is actuated and the ribbon moved across the face of the type in a step by step movement as the samp is operated, and constantly presents a fresh inking surface to the work.

A printing mechanism having a type-plate over which a ribbon passes is herein shown merely for the purpose of illustration, it -`being understood that any other form of typeplate or die, either with or without dating disks or movable dating types, may-be employed, and that any desired form of inking mechanism for the types of the stamp may be used, or that cutting or embossing types or dies, without any inking device, may be used in carrying out my intention.

One important feature of my invention is embraced in the construction by which the standard which supports the sliding plunger is located at one side of the type support and the platen, and in which the stationary eutting blade and the movable cutting blade which is attached to the platen are located at the side of the type support and the platen adjacent to said standard, so that the stamp may be used equally well for4 dating long or coupon tickets, or for simultaneously dating and cutting the stub from small orcard tickets, as hereinbefore set forth.

Another important feature of the invention is embraced in the construction -in which thecasing of the stamp at the side thereof adjaa suitable inclosure to receive the stub, which being located at one side only of the type support enables the stamp to be used either for coupon or card tickets, as hereinbefore stated.

j It will of course be seen that the depending arms on the movable cutting blade not only serve to maintain the proper relation between the two cutting blades to insure the perfect action thereof, but also serve as guards to prevent the side ot' a long or coupon ticket which is being operated upon from entering between and being mutilated by the cutting blades.

I claim as my invention- 1. A ticket stamp, comprising a type support, a vertically movable plunger, a platen attached to the lower end of the plungerand normally separated from the type support by a free uninclosed space, a stationary horizontal cutting blade adjacent to the type support, a movable cutting blade rigidly attached to the platen and adapted to co-operate with the stationary blade in the descent of the plunger, and a receptacle for stubs provided with an inlet opening, adjacent to the stationary cutting blade, through which the cut off stubs may enter the receptacle, substantially as described.

2. A ticket stamp, comprising a type support, a vertically movable plunger, a platen attached to the lower end of the plunger and normally separated from the type support by a free uninclosed space, a standard for supporting the plunger located at one side of the type support and platen, a horizontal cutting blade rigidly attached to the type support at the side of the latter adjacent to said standard, a movable cutting blade rigidly attached to the platen and adapted to coact with the stationary blade inthe descent of the plunger, and a receptacle for detached stubs, said standard being provided with a recess in its side face opposite the stationary cutting blade, which recess is in communication with the said receptacle, substantially as described.

3. A ticket stamp, comprising a type support, a vertically movable plunger, a platen attached to the lower end of the plunger and normally separated from the type support by a free, uninclosed space, a stationary blade having a horizontal cutting edge and secured to the type support, and a movable cutting blade rigidly attached to the platen and provided at its ends with depending arms which areV constantly engaged with the stationary cutting blade, substantially as described.

4. A ticket stamp, comprising a type support, a vertically movable plunger, a platen attached to the lower end ot' the plunger and normally separated from the type support bya free, uninclosed space, a standard for supporting the plunger located at one side of the type support and platen, a stationary blade having a horizontal cutting edge secured to the type support in approximately the same plane therewith, a movable cutting blade rig` idly attached to the platen and provided at its ends with depending arms which are coustantly engaged with the stationary cutting blade, a recess in the supporting standard extending above and immediately adjacent to the cutting blade and open at the side adjacent to the type support to receive the end of the ticket, and a receptacle for detached stubs in communication with said recess, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atx my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 16th day of September, 1893.

CALVIN N. SOUTHER.

Witnesses:

CYRUS KEER, ALICE LINEE. 

